Killed on the Battlefield at 18
Yevhen Minzher lost his leg in a Russian drone attack, underwent rehabilitation, and returned to the military. He was killed at 21 near Pavlohrad.
Yevhen Minzher lost his leg in a Russian drone attack, underwent rehabilitation, and returned to the military. He was killed at 21 near Pavlohrad.
In a clash near Pavlohrad, located in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in central Ukraine, soldier Yevhen Minzher, aged 21, lost his life. Although he had spent many years in Turkey, after turning 18, he decided to return to his homeland to defend it. He was a drone operator and lost his leg on the battlefield, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
Minzher was born in the Kherson Oblast and moved to Turkey during his schooling. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he was 17 years old. After seeing photos from Bucha and the capture of Mariupol's defenders, he decided to return home and join the military.
"As soon as I turned 18, I took the first flight and returned to Ukraine," he later recounted. Two months after that, in March 2023, he became part of the 38th Separate Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, where he was assigned to the 2nd Marine Battalion. He became a drone operator with the call sign Ondatra.
On April 10, 2025, he was wounded when a Russian drone struck the side of the vehicle he was in. "I looked up from my tablet and immediately saw a flash of fire. The first thing I did was check on my guys, and only then did I realize something was wrong with me. I mean, my leg was gone... I realized it almost immediately," he later said.
The recovery process took place at a center called Unbroken. During recovery, he took up sport climbing. "For me, it's a way to adapt to the prosthesis. It's fulfilling when you progress in climbing over time and can tackle longer routes and harder directions each time. As a hobby, routine, and rehabilitation, it's great," he said.
After completing rehabilitation, he returned to the military ranks. He stated that he felt the army was exactly where he felt at home. His death was confirmed yesterday, August 18, 2026.
Ukrainian soldier Yaroslav Hrubich, Yevhen's friend, said goodbye with a touching message. "You never made it to me at the prosthetic center, friend. Before that, we met many times at my hospital in Kyiv. Your incredible energy was contagious. You were an example to others, and you were Spider-Man on a prosthetic leg. But you could never just stand by. You were a force, and you still are."
The prosthetic company Levitate Ukraine, of which Yevhen was an ambassador, stated: "Yevhen loved life. Truly. He was incredibly energetic, always on the move, full of character, strength, and that special joy of life that was impossible not to notice."
